Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley.
Margaret Oliver was born about 1842 in Roxburghshire, Scotland.
She married John May, a wood turner, on 27 November 1863 in Edinburgh.
Shortly after their marriage the couple moved to Berkshire in England where their four children were born.
In 1874 the family emigrated to Otago on the “Corona” and settled in Dunedin.
John worked as a confectioner – he was declared bankrupt in 1887 owing £23 12s 1d.
Margaret appears to have taken over the business after this and when she signed the suffrage petition she was living in Dundas Street working as a storekeeper.
John died in the Benevolent Institute in 1904 and Margaret died at her home on 8 November 1918 – they are buried together in the Southern Cemetery.
Sources:
DCC Cemetery Records http://www.dunedin.govt.nz/facilities/cemeteries/cemeteries-search
Family Search https://www.familysearch.org
Free BDM https://www.freebmd.org.uk
GRO England https://www.gro.gov.uk
Otago Nominal Index http://marvin.otago.ac.nz
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
Scotlands People https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk